traveling 11 nights in france with family
 

hi, we are planning a family trip to France for our first time end of July for 11 nights, flying to Paris and leaving from Nice. Should we stick just to these 2 cities or add one more? what do suggest for the itinerary? Also we are thinking maybe to get the overnight train to Nice, what do you think about that?
thanks

I have really enjoyed the times I did an overnight train. Wouldn't want to do it every night, but once on a 11 night trip would be fun. Get a private cabin (not a shared couchette).

I doubt that there is a night train from Paris to Nice. TGV is about 5 1/2 hours or fly. Plenty to do in Paris and the Cote in your time frame. Could also stop in Avignon for a few nights on way to Nice via TGV.

The Lunéa night train was renamed Intercité de Nuit and may or may not keep running in 2017.

Mark of seat61 says
"Sadly, the French government withdrew funding for all intercités de nuit in October 2016, except for (1) Paris-Briancon, (2) Paris-Rodez & (3) Paris-Toulouse-Latour de Carol which will continue to be funded as socially necessary for the regions they serve.
The Paris-Cannes-Nice intercité de nuit should also continue running until at least October 2017..."

See www.seat61.com/lunea.htm

As to what to see and do between Paris and Nice - to many people's taste there is more to enjoy in the Provence than on the Côte d'Azur.

For the Provence start drawing a rough circle encompassing Arles-Nîmes-Avignon then enlarge that circle into an oval that includes Uzès and the Camargue and Gordes and the Luberon.

But that region alone would easily keep you busy for 11 nights, and you'd want a car to really make the most of it. So if you have planned your Nice sojourn to your level of happiness, maybe save the Provence for another trip?

Two cities great but for whom? What interests do you have, if into white water rafting then the trip is going to be a bit flat...
Family ages? Are we talking 75+ or 4-?
Take the day train, buy a picnic before you get on and share, book your train early and read seat61.com for advice on French trains.

Nice will be hot. You can use the train system to get around based on the train and last year we had an Oz lady touring around by bus andd train who had a whale of a time.

You know Nice will be hot right?

Can't help more until you tell us what your interests are.

Paris will be empty (low season for hotels) and Nice and the riviera will be jam packed.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm traveling with 2 teenage girls 13 and 16. My husband and my 13 year old are not into sight seeing so much, so we are trying to have some down time too. The overnight train is still an option and I can book it if we want to.

One day at Disney ?

If you're not into sightseeing, what ARE you into? Why even go to Europe? The overnight train, if it even still exists, is a PITA and you will sacrifice a day or so being really tired. At that time of year I would just head to Avignon on the daytime TGV and spend time in inland Provence instead of the shoulder-to-shoulder Riviera, but if you're not into sightseeing it's really hard to figure why you would bother.

2 days at Disney. One at parc Astérix.

Much as Nice is nice, I'd do as St C says and go to Avignon or one of the other ancient cities in the area.

StCirq, I know you are an expert on many things France, but I did not "sacrifice a day or so being really tired" when I used a night train in a private cabin to move between cities.

Two occasions did it from Geneva to Venice and once Venice to Paris thru Milan. It was fun.

No idea if it will work for this family and this particular itinerary, but I think one overnight train ride on an 11 night trip might be something they would enjoy or at least find interesting.

As always, please remember to subtract a day en route to Paris, one leaving Nice for home, and at least 1/2 a day traveling from Paris to Nice. If you haven't, you have 9.5 days.

I'm in the "I didn't get any sleep in the overnight train" camp, but as suze suggests, it might be a fun adventure.

I'd split between the 2 cities but give Paris more because there are so many "iconic" things to see. A day trip to Versaille should be amazing to everyone if you have time.

In Nice, get a trip to the perfumery for your girls. We took a van tour that covered perfume, and all the local beaches--in July that will be fun.

What <I>does</i> your husband like???

OK, I'll buy that. I wouldn't do it,but that doesn't mean it's not do-able.

After 2 overnight train trips in U.S., I wouldn't either, StCirq. BUT, tracks are probably in better shape in Paris.

A recent train experience in the USA has zero comparison to what you find in Europe.

All I can say is I (solo) and we (twice with a friend) enjoyed it. We had a private cabin. Took a fantastic picnic dinner with wine on board. And so on.

I am a notoriously light sleeper but we still got some rest. Would I do it every night? - no. Would I do it once during a two week trip if the timing, price, and type of train accommodation available (very important! only a sleeper car made it fun) then sure, why not?

I have done a couple of overnight trains in Europe and not a big fan. On one trip sharing the toilet ( no private toilets but did have private room with bunk beds ) with the rest of the car was not at all a pleasant experience. Of course, I 've never liked public toilets and those on trains are often yucky. Unfortunately dinning cars seem to be a thing of the past and you need to bring your own food or stand in line for crappy food from the snack bar. I realize some will still enjoy the experience but I much prefer taking the TGV.

I'm another huge fan of overnight trains. I live south of Munich, and the overnight train into Paris used to be my favorite way to get there -- I'd arrive in the morning, with the whole day available to me to get oriented & settled. Unfortunately, those have been discontinued, so now I always have to scramble to find the best option for the trip.

I've been taking overnight trains since the 1968, when my dear sister and I took an overnight from Switzerland (where we were in school) to Spain (where my parents were). I was 12 and my sister was 14. We loaded up with chocolate. The next time we did it together was from Augsburg to Paris in the 1980s; this time, we loaded up with chocolate AND wine.

The last night train I took was from Orvieto to Munich last spring.

These days, I still consider getting some wine, but I always have some nice gourmet snacks. Getting a private cabin is a necessity for me now; I need to be able to be ON a toilet within seconds of getting out of bed in the morning. I justify the cost to myself saying that I've saved a hotel night.

So, I get to my cabin. Once the train starts moving, I get undressed, turn off the lights, grab the wine/food, open the curtain, and snuggle into bed. I love seeing the countryside swoosh by the windows. I feel like I'm in a 1940s movie.

I adore night trains.

In addition to being good transportation, a night train will also give you a unique experience -- and isn't that what travel is about?

Have fun as you plan!

s

There's a reason why night trains are a thing of the past, mostly: they just don't offer a pleasant travel experience.

Night trains are not so great. I took it once because I wanted to have sex. I didnt. Now I take daytrains.

Another big fan of overnight trains in general, sex and all. Some of my happiest memories of travel - even of life! - involve long train rides & sleeping on and waking up on trains.

Also think there is more to travel than sightseeing -- at least for many many people. There are an overwhelming number of reasons to go to Europe and not spend your time "sightseeing", even in cities. As Yogi Berra said, 'You an observe a lot just by watching." That's the different between travel writers and tourists. The tourists go for the sightseeing, packing a guidebook, but the writers go to look, observe, to interact differently. (And the alcoholics go as an excuse to drink, but irrelevant to the plans of 13 year olds).

I've noticed lots of people filing their trip reports about which sights they saw & which recommended restaurants they went to, but otherwise you'd never know they were in Europe. They never talk about the foreigners they encountered, the differentces in style, manner, infrastructure, amusements, shopping customs, the everyday stuff that makes Europe (and just about anywhere) so different from America or English-speaking nations.

I love to be in a foreign country without a sightseeing agenda. I enjoy sightseeing too, especially related to art and history, but I do understand there is rich rewards for those who go beyond being sightseers when they are away from home.

This is old and it's for boys but gives you an idea

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic...te_d_Azur.html

"And the alcoholics go as an excuse to drink, but irrelevant to the plans of 13 year olds"

13 year olds must be much better behaved than I was :-)

wow! Thanks everyone for your insight. We all read your comments and decided to take the night train:) My husband loves casinos and looks forward to our visit to south. I definitely put the perfumery in the agenda..

Please do report back about your trip, mojgan!

When DH and I went into the Monte Carlo casino, they wanted to see our passports. Because we weren't dressed up, we were only allowed in some rooms. So be aware. Anyone been there recently to confirm this info? Jacket and tie for men?